The blue mussel Mytilus edulis as an indicator species for modelling marine connectivity in Scotland

贻贝提供了一系列的生态系统服务，然而，由于潜在的压力因素，包括海洋酸化、全球变暖和不断变化的捕食者-猎物动态，贻贝的数量正在下降。了解这一关键物种的恢复能力、恢复和重新定居的能力以及对这些和其他威胁的潜在反应是至关重要的。该项目解决了蓝贻贝在大空间尺度上的恢复能力，该模型能够代表该物种在区域内的种群动态以及区域之间的分散。模型将结合“社会”网络建模和元种群动态方法建立。通过识别处于危险或至关重要的网络特征，作为斑块之间的走廊，将确定重点保护和监测的目标。这些模型将解决一个知识缺口：水文模型通常专注于水流的细节和高计算复杂性，而没有解决长期的人口动态。我们将使用水文模型的输出来为我们的元种群模型提供信息，并使用遗传数据和采样数据进行参数化，特别是来自相关项目的数据。

Mussels provide a range of ecosystem services, however populations are declining, with potential stressors including ocean acidification, global warming, and changing predator-prey dynamics. It is crucial to understand the resilience of this key species, its ability to recover and recolonise, and its potential response to these and other threats. This project addresses the resilience of blue mussel at large spatial scales with models capable of representing the population dynamics of the species within locales and also dispersal between locales.Models will be built using a combination of "social" network modelling and metapopulation dynamic approaches. By identifying network features which are at risk or crucial as corridors between patches, targets for focus conservation and surveillance will be identified. These models will address a knowledge gap: Hydrological models typically focus in detail and with high computational complexity on water flow, without addressing long-term population dynamics. We will use outputs from hydrological models to inform our metapopulation model, and parameterise using genetic data and sampling data where available, particularly from related projects.